Oral health care professionals recommending and administering the HPV vaccine: Understanding the strengths and assessing the barriers

Introduction Head and neck cancer is a deadly cancer that ranks among the six most common cancers worldwide. The HPV vaccine has been used to prevent head and neck cancer of the oropharynx, and changes in health policies and state law are impacting the role of dental professionals in HPV vaccination. However, relatively little is known about dental professionals’ attitudes regarding the vaccine. Objectives Our study assesses dental professionals’ willingness to administer the HPV vaccine, their confidence discussing HPV with patients, beliefs about the vaccine’s efficacy, perceived barriers to administering it, and sites of referral. Methods We surveyed 623 dental professionals, including dentists, hygienists, dental students, and hygiene students across Michigan. Attitudes toward the vaccine and predictive characteristics were evaluated by logistic regression, ANOVAs, and t-tests. Results The majority of the respondents (51% of dentists, 63% of hygienists, 82% of dental students, and 71% of hygiene students) were willing to administer the HPV vaccine if allowed by law. The role of dental and dental hygiene students would be one of advocacy, educating and recommending the vaccine, and the dental students administering it once licensed. Dental professionals were variably confident discussing HPV with patients and generally believed it enhanced patients’ health. Stronger confidence and beliefs were associated with greater willingness to administer the vaccine. Barriers among professionals opposing the HPV vaccine included lack of knowledge on the subject, liability concerns, and personal beliefs. Conclusion Dental professionals can become leaders in preventing HPV-related cancers. Training and continuing education courses could enhance their confidence and willingness to recommend and administer the HPV vaccine. Policy implications Legislation that permits dental professionals to administer the vaccine could increase the vaccine’s accessibility to patients, improve vaccination rates, and population health.